How to Run Diablo 2 on a contemporary PC
How to Run Diablo 2 on a contemporary PC
Before proceeding, I only tried this on a Windows 7 system with a GTX 970 graphics card. You might get different results. I assumed someone is likely trying to run Diablo 2 but has a newer card and can't launch it, so here’s my approach... Begin by installing the game and updating it to version 1.13d. Then download the latest GLIDE-wrapper package and move its contents into your main Diablo 2 directory. After placing the files in the correct location, place glide3x.dll in the C:\Windows\system folder. Once everything is in place, run a video test and you should see "3dfx Glide: 3dfx Glide" listed under Direct3D options; choose it. At this stage, the game should launch. If you wish to adjust settings, you can open "glide-init.exe" for customization, though you don’t need to change much unless you want a nicer visual.
Notes on Compatibility
Some settings require you to leave "keep desktop composition" selected or ensure video textures are included; otherwise, videos may not play. I hope this assists in getting Diablo 2 running smoothly on your modern PC.
The issue appears to be related to Delta Colour Compression on older graphics cards, which causes problems on the GTX 970 but not the GTX 460.